Shot-blasting apparatus



J une THOMSON SHOT-BLASTING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet1 //\/l/E/\/7"OP ROBERT S THOM N ATT R. s. THOMSON SHOT-BLASTING ArrmnusJune 23, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1967 lNI/EA/TOP ROBERT S.

THO ON /XALW ATTO Y United States Patent 3,516,205 SHOT-BLASTINGAPPARATUS Robert S. Thomson, Pool-in-Wharfedale, England, as-

slgnor to Guyson Industrial Equipment Limited, Otley,

Yorkshire, England Filed June 19, 1967, Ser. No. 647,047 Int. Cl. B24c3/00 US. Cl. 51-8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabinet of ashot-blasting apparatus comprising a primary portion having a lower partin the shape of an inverted pyramid constituting the cabinet base and asecondary portion which sits over the primary portion, the primaryportion having an upper part which includes a rear wall and a pair ofside walls the top edges of which are inclined downwardly towards thefront, but having no front wall, the secondary portion having a rearwall which is hinged to the rear wall of the upper part of the primaryportion, a front and side walls the lower edges of which are inclined tocorrespond in inclination to the top edges of the side walls of theupper part of the primary portion and which rest upon such side wallsWhen the secondary portion is closed upon said primary portion. Thefront of the secondary portion of the cabinet may include a window andaccess openings fitted with flexible seals for manual operations.

The invention relates to shot-blasting apparatus of the kind whichincludes a cabinet adapted to provide a chamber for accommodatingblasting equipment and articles to be dealt with by such equipment.

The object of the present invention is the provision of new or improvedshot-blasting apparatus and is particularly concerned with the cabinetportion thereof and with related parts in order that apparatus accordingto the invention possesses considerable advantages over conventionalapparatus, advantages which will be hereinafter referred to.

According to the present invention there is provided shot-blastingapparatus including a cabinet containing shot blasting tool means andhaving a viewing window so that the shot blasting may be viewed, saidcabinet comprising a primary portion made up of a lower part in theshape of an inverted pyramid and an upper part comprising a rear walland a pair of side walls of which the top edges are inclined downwardlytowards the front of the cabinet so that said upper portion is devoid ofa front wall, and a secondary portion in the form of a hollowopen-bottomed cap which has a rear wall hinged to the rear Wall of theupper part of the primary portion, a front wall and a pair of side wallsthe lower edges of which are inclined to correspond to the inclinationof the top edges of the side walls of the upper part of the primaryportion so that said lower edges rest on said upper edges when the capis hinged to close the upper part of the primary portion.

In order that the invention may be fully and clearly comprehended thesame will now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front view of shot-blasting apparatus according to theinvention, with the canopy thereof closed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the upper part of the apparatus shownin FIG. 1 on the line IIII of the latter figure, but with the canopyopened. The closed position of the canopy is indicated in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is a section of a fragment of the canopy of the apparatus, drawnto large scale.

The cabinet of the apparatus comprises a base or primary portion 1,provided with legs 2, and a canopy or secondary portion 3. If desired,the portion 1 could be arranged to be supported on a pedestal of anysuitable configuration.

The primary portion 1 has a lower of hollow inverted substantiallypyramidal shape and an upper part which includes a pair of opposing sideWalls 5 and an interconnecting rear wall 6, the top edges of the sidewalls being inclined downwardly towards the front in such a manner thatthey terminate at the front so that the uppfr part of the primaryportion is devoid of any front wa Hinged to the rear wall 6 of the upperpart of the primary portion 1 is the secondary portion 3 in the form ofa canopy or cover which is dished and has a top 7 with an inclined panel8, vertical side Walls 9 whose lower edges are inclined to correspond toinclination of the upper edges of the side walls 5 of the upper part ofthe primary portion, a vertical front Wall 10 and a similar rear wall11.

The panel 8 contains a transparent observation window 12 and the frontwall 10 incorporates a pair of appropriately shaped openings eachcovered by a flexible sealing member 13 having slits therein forpermitting an operator to pass his or her hands into the blast chamberformed when the canopy is closed with the inclined edges of the walls 9resting on the inclined edges of walls 5, as in FIG. 1. Also secured tothe wall 10 is a handle 14 and, if desired, means 3A, 3B may be providedfor latching or securing the canopy in a closed position.

The amount by which the canopy 3 may be opened may be determined by anysuitable means such as by a supporting bracket 15 secured to wall 6, orby lever mechanism indicated at 15A, 15B, 15C. Also, manual opening ofthe canopy may be assisted by the provision of a counterweight,pneumatic or dash-pot device or by a spring, any of which means may alsoretain the canopy in its open position.

Housed in the shot-blasting chamber of the apparatus is a suitableshot-blasting gun 16 and compressed air and abrasive supply pipes 17 and18. The lower end of the lower part of the primary portion 1 has anopening therein to which is attached one end of a pipe 18A for suckingaway abrasive or like shot-blasting material from the interior of theblast chamber of the apparatus for subsequent recirculation in the usualmanner.

The shot-blasting gun 16 may be controlled by any suitable known kind ofvalve mechanism which may be manually operated or be operated byfoot-pedal 19.

It is, however, preferred to link the valve for controlling theshot-blasting gun 16 to the canopy 3 in such a manner that when thecanopy is closed the said valve is automatically opened and vice-versa.To this end the valve may be solenoid operated and the energisation ofthe valve is under the influence of a micros-switch 50 which is actuatedby the canopy 3 when same is in the closed position thereby causing thevalve to be opened.

I claim:

1. Shot-blasting apparatus including a cabinet containing shot blastingtool means and having a viewing window so that the shot blasting may beviewed, said cabinet comprising a primary portion made up of a lowerpart in the shape of an inverted pyramid and an upper part comprising arear wall and a pair of side walls of which the top edges are inclineddownwardly towards the front of the cabinet so that said upper portionis devoid of a front wall, and a secondary portion in the form of ahollow open-bottomed cap which has a rear wall hinged to the rear wallof the upper part of the primary portion, a front wall and a pair ofside walls the lower edges of which are inclined to correspond to theinclination of the top edges of the side walls of the upper part of theprimary portion so that said lower edges rest on said upper edges whenthe cap is hinged to close the upper part ofthe primary portion.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including limiting means forlimiting the amount by which the secondary portion can be hinged on theprimary portion in a direction to open the upper part of the primaryportion.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said limiting means comprisesa bracket attached ot the rear wall of the upper part of the primaryportion.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said limiting means comprisesa lever mechanism connected between said prmiary and secondary portions.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including valve means throughwhich the shot blasting medium is supplied to the tool means and controlmeans controlling the operation of the valve means and hence the supplyof shot blasting medium to said tool means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means is switchmeans operable by the secondary portion of the cabinet when same is inposition closing the upper part of the primary portion so that the valvemeans can be opened only when the cabinet is closed.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shot blasting tool meansis mounted above the inclined top edges of the upper part of the primaryportion so that such tool is completely exposed for acccess when thesecondary portion is hinged to the open position.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the primaryportion at the bottom thereof, is provided with an opening adapted forcoupling to means for sucking shot-blasting medium from said lower partfor recirculation in the apparatus.

9. Shot-blasting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cabinetfurther including openings provided with flexible seals which enableinsertion of an operators hands into the cabinet during operation of theapparatus yet seal around his arms to prevent loss of shot blastingmedium through the opening.

10. Shot-blasting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loweredges of the side walls and the front wall of the secondary portion aredirected downwardly shot blasting medium will not collect therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,678,520 5/1954 Jewett 5183,069,810 12/1962 Blackman et a1. 5 18 3,103,765 9/1963 Nolan 51-83,300,902 1/1967 Dockery 51-8 3,352,063 11/1967 Eppler 518 HAROLD D.WHITEHEAD, Primary Examiner

